The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-12-13

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one, she likes the answer little more
defnite?" she said. Then quickly
turning to him. and laying a hand
that trembled very much on his arm:
do please tell me all about him.
Mr. Grey" Sheer establishment kept
Grey silent seeing which. Mrs. Chat
ham gave little gasp and turned so
white that Ronald was frightened.
mo" she said, with a wan smile,
don't look so alarmed; l am not going
to faint. Oh, how strange you must
think mer'
And then to cut short this unpleas-
ing dialogue, he took out the letter
and read her all the latter part, which
was an interesting compound OF busi-
ness prospects and hunting expert
ences. After which. being an eccentric
man, he turned to Mrs. Chatham with
the question:
"Will you forgive me for being so
very impertinent? 1 just want to ask
you something. IL you want to know
about Tom, why on earth don't you
write him yourself?"
use-because-oh. YOU can't
understand. but he wouldn't care for
the letter"
Begging your pardon. Mrs. Chath-
am. / know he would"
The eyes opened wide.
81 really can't see what you mean,"
she said, with considerable dignity.
"You can't Judge very well in this
matter. knowing nothing of the facts. D."
There was moments silence; then
that audacious man said, very quietly:
81 wish you would tell me the facts.
II will" she exclaimed. Why, she
never knew; sometimes she thought
that much-enduring word, ''fate, "
must be used to explain it, For a mo-
ment she hesitated, then turning to
him she said:
Would you believe your friend
could not only break his word to me in
a dishonorable way, but lie about it al
SOP
Never had he seen the brown eyes so
dark, the firm lips so white.
No" he replied; land excuse me,
but don't think | ever shall.
"Listen, them" she said. and looking
straight before her she told him her
story.
people would tell YOU it all came of
a wOman's knowing too much of mems
affairs. Perhaps You have never heard
n int htlsi
matters; but that was the case, and
Mr.. Chatham used To tell me q great
deal of such things. In fact. he said |
might have made myself fortune had
been a mail. About 4 year ago We
heard a great deal about n certain rail-
road scheme that Mr.. Green wanted
my husband to join. / suspected it was
any thing but sound, and that the
man only wanted Mr.. Chatham
to back him up. But he thought
differently, and We had serious
quarrel OH the subject AT last
| he promised me To avoid il. Would
you believe that after that promise he
could 60 deliberately and involve HIM
self in it? That was what he did. 1
am certain, for In short time the fine
scheme came to grief, and the same
day Tom was obliged TO tell me he had
lost large sum of money. That was,
YOU know. the time of his difficulties.
and this loss seemed the browning
blow. 1t was hard 10 believe that he
| could have SO broken his word to me. but
to have him fatty deny it was worse than
all. He told me he had never invested
in the railway. had not lost his money
there. and yet he could not tell me how
he had lost it. Then l gave up every
thing. could have forgiven any thing
else. / only wanted him to tell me
the truth. / cared nothing for the
broken promise; but to see him stand
ing there with that dreadful set face
saying that he had lost the money; he
could not tell me how-he never could
tell me; but not in the railroad, oh,
MOI Great Heaven, how could / do it9
How them l asked him. Tell me
something, Tom
Then he muttered something about
bound and 'dishonor. and hid his
face, and / told him / cared nothing
for trouble or shame. if he only would
speak. And then he looked up and asked
IL could not trust him. He to talk OF
trusting with that shameful secret in
his mindl And yet, o, Mr.. Grey,
sometimes / think would rather have
trusted him than"
And here the clear voice faltered, and
the little woman put ono hand up to
her eyes, but removed it in some sur
prise as Mr.. Grey brought down his
hand on her disengaged one with g
startling emphasis and the exclama'
ton:
Splendid fellow! The dear old
man all overi' Then, conscious OF
his slight incoherency: